AGRONIGERIA in collaboration with some agriculture stakeholders will hold a high level conference from April 11 to April 12, to tackle rice smuggling and availability of farm inputs along the value chain.

The Chief Executive Officer of AgroNigeria, Mr Richard Mark-Mbaram, made this disclosure in Abuja on Wednesday at an interactive session with newsmen.

He stated that the conference would highlight issues that would enable the country to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production.

He said that Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo would be declaring the conference open, while Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, would be the chief host.

Mbaram, who is the convener of the conference, said it would be an alliance to incorporate the public (the government) and private sector in the rice value chain.

The chief executive officer said that rice value chain was currently being driven by the public sector, adding that the private sector was needed to sustain the growth in the value chain.

“The High Level Rice Conference is a convocation that we have decided to put together because of the need to chronicle Nigeria’s match toward self-sufficiency in rice production.

“Index rate has started upgrading Nigeria figure as it relates to production in paddy rice but we feel that in order to ensure that it is a sustainable progress, the private sector needs to be galvanised and mainstreamed into the play.

“It is a platform where we will be addressing realities, progress made so far and systemic challenges facing these efforts, and one, is smuggling.

“We want to ensure productive engagement and we will be talking about issues relating to research, markets, how to advance infrastructure around expanded productivity,’’ he said.

Mrs Ngozi Mbah, the Head of Corporate Communication, Notore, emphasised the need for the private sector to support the Federal Government to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production.

She said the company was committed to helping Nigeria to achieve food security for the benefit of the populace.

“Notore has been helping Nigerian farmers from subsistence to commercial farming through improved seeds and education of farmers,’’ she said.

Mr Ephraim Manga, representing Synerta, said that quality of input and new technology adoptions were major challenges facing farmers, especially rice farmers across the country.

‘‘One of our major goals is to ensure food sufficiency globally not just in Nigeria,’’ he said.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference would feature stakeholders from the federal and state governments, private sector, as well as stakeholders in the agriculture sector.

Other facilitators of the conference are AFEX Commodities Exchange and Stallion Group of Companies, among others.

AgroNigeria is an agricultural market and professional services firm offering agro-based information and consulting services to direct and indirect participants in the agriculture sector.

– Apr. 4, 2018 @ 17:45 GMT

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